


Unexpected

by KellyJade



Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-15
Updated: 2016-09-03
Packaged: 2018-03-07 15:36:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3176876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KellyJade/pseuds/KellyJade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Years later, the Silas crew work as a part of a larger organization sworn to protect supernatural beings. And they aren't even a little prepared for what's about to happen.</p>
<p>Pairings relevant but not the focus, a bit AU, multichapter, probably going to get weird.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Discovery

**Author's Note:**

> Here goes! Chapter one of probably far too many - definitely not the typical fanfiction (if the pairing isn't indication enough of that.) But it'll be a wild ride. Let me know what you think!
> 
> I don't own Carmilla or any of the beautiful people involved in it.

The air is harsh and biting. Winter is coming and frost nips at the blades of grass on the field, on the tips of the leaves on the trees that still cling there. The cold chills the end of the soldier's nose uncomfortably.

The soldier sneezes and is treated to a warning flash of brown eyes from a diminutive looking girl, who appears to be around twenty years old. "Shh," hisses the girl. "They're close, if they hear us…"

"I know, I know," whispers the soldier, wrinkling their nose, lifting an arm to rub it vigorously, lessening the itch. "Can you see them?"

The girl lifts her chin, pale skin oddly bright when touched by the moonlight. "I can smell them," she answers.

Well.

The two of them are hidden rather clumsily, behind a small cluster of trees with a clear vantage point of the grassy plain. They are both rather small in stature, and both sets of eyes are quick and aware, but that is where their outward similarities end for the most part.

The soldier looks like exactly that – military, focused and deadly. They crouch low to the ground, clutching a serious looking gun and wearing top of the line combat equipment, from bullet proof vest to heavy boots. A professional in their prime – forty five, seasoned and experienced. Red hair chopped short in a crew cut is streaked through with grey now, but age hasn't dulled the soldier's senses, rather given them vital experience.

The girl, on the other hand, looks more like a feral child than anything else. Her hair is pulled back in a sleek, no nonsense style, but there is dirt on her cheeks, and where the soldier wears sensible military gear, the girl is clad in nothing but a thin dark blue sweater, and plain black pants. There is a wild fierceness in her expression; something that would send a shiver down any man's spine. She carries no weapon. She does not need one.

As Lafontaine watches, Laura's upper lip pulls back, and her fangs glint in the moonlight. "What?" asks the soldier warily.

The vampire doesn't answer right away, but simply nods out into the field. There are two figures there, moving slowly.

Lafontaine lifts the gun silently, and squeezes one eye shut, the crosshairs trained on one of the targets' chest with expert precision. "Just say when."

Now Laura smiles even wider, and she has to spit the word around her fangs. "When."

The recoil of the gun is paired with the soft _whoosh_ as Laf's companion shoots from her hiding place in the grass, supernatural speed racing with the bullet that has been fired. The seasoned soldier leans forward to watch one of the figures in the plain fall – killed by the shot.

The other figure is already on the ground, being drained by the thirsty vampire. 

Standing and stretching aching legs, Lafontaine pulls a black communicator from their belt. "Targets down. Minimal combat, no casualities." 

There is only a short pause before a voice replies back. "Roger. Clean up required?" 

Lafontaine's eyesight is only human, and thus limited, but the field is bright with moonlight, and the sight of a tiny vampire digging in to the second lifeless body isn't hard to make out. "No," Laf answers. "No clean up required." 

xxx 

Danny is restless, but what else is new.

She sits sprawled on a black leather armchair in an office, watching an older (at least in appearance) woman typing away at computer. A soft _ping_ sound comes from the speakers, and Danny sits up, alert. "Who –"

But Perry doesn't even wait for Danny to finish her sentence, nor does she look up from her computer screen. "That was Team Two," she answers, no nonsense tone clipped and abrupt. "They've checked in at base, both targets down, no casualties.

And Danny slumps back into her chair. "Team Two…" she grumbles dismissively. There is an elongated pause where the only sound is Perry's fingers on her keyboard. "I hope Laura ate something at least." Danny adds after a moment. 

The tapping stops, and Perry leans around her computer screen to fix Danny with a stern look. "You'd do best to leave that sort of thing to those who understand it," she says, her tone a bit scolding. 

Danny shrugs, examining her own fingernails. "She's been hungry lately, that's all I'm saying. You don't have to live in her section, she gets irritable." 

Before Perry can answer, another soft alert sounds from her computer. Looking at it briefly, she sighs, shaking her head. "It's your lucky day, Danny. Front door, Blue Scout has checked in at base." Perry's eyes flash over the report on her screen and she clucks her tongue disapprovingly. "Checked in very sarcastically, I might add." 

But Danny is already on her feet, grin on her face. "Front door?" 

Perry looks around her computer screen with a frown, watching the lanky girl vault straight over the back of the leather armchair she had been sprawled in. "Be careful, the both of you! Just because you look like teenagers doesn't mean you have to act like it!" 

The sound of Danny's footsteps change as she leaves Perry's office and takes the outside route to the front of the station. As soon as her feet hit the cold dirt, they change, morph. And the cadence of two feet becomes the rapid pattern of four, and the moonlight shines down on deep red fur as the wolf inside the girl runs with unabashed glee. 

xxx 

Carmilla pushes the medic away, scowling. "Did you not read my file, princess?" she spits at the woman holding gauze and tape. "I'm a vampire, I'll heal on my own." Her eyes search the crowd of people in front of her. "Does no one do their paperwork anymore? I requested a commanding officer, or did everyone just decide I'd be happy with a band aid instead?"

A gruff laugh sounds from a corner and Carmilla rolls her eyes. "Finally," she groans, and pushes through the small crowd of people to see the six foot plus man leaning against a wall. He was always big, but age and military rank suits Kirsch, and his presence is truly commanding now, in his mid forties.

Carmilla still sees a thick headed nineteen year old frat boy, though, despite everything. She temporarily takes some pleasure in fixing every single errant medic with a bone chilling glare before they all scurry away, leaving the hallway clear but for Kirsch and herself.

She turns to look up at the hulking Lieutenant. "Did you read my report?"

The big man nods, scratching at the half inch or so of stubble on his square jaw. "I read your report," he says. "Seemed clear to me, what's the deal?"

Carmilla meets his eyes for a moment before abruptly moving forward and grabbing him by the arm, unceremoniously pulling him into an empty meeting room across the hall. The lights flicker on automatically as the two of them enter. Carmilla locks the door behind them.

Kirsch is the senior officer here, and although he has known Carmilla for over twenty years, you don't just yank your senior officer around like a rag doll. Needless to say, he is more than a little miffed. "Okay Scout, what the hell?"

The vampire fixes Kirsch with a piercing stare for only a moment before pulling the strap of the canvas bag she has slung over her shoulder so it falls open onto the floor. She bends down and starts rooting through it as she speaks. "I got to the site. Nothing wrong, typical recon, whatever. There were a few hostiles, took em out."

Kirsch is frowning, not hearing an explanation. "I know, I _did_ say I read your report, if you were listening to me at all. You got in, you were looking for strategy plans, you looked around, you found nothing."

Carmilla finds what she was looking for in her bag and pulls it out – it's a sweater, very large and faded blue. It's wrapped around something the approximate size of a bowling ball. "I lied in my report," Carmilla says bluntly. "I did find something, but it's sure as hell not strategy plans." She unravels the sweater. 

Nope, definitely not strategy plans. 

"It's an egg," says Kirsch, staring at it. 

Carmilla fights the urge to roll her eyes with extreme difficulty – helped by the fact that the urge to get some damn answers is much stronger at the moment. "I know it's an egg," she hisses, practically spitting her words and taking a step closer to her senior officer. "It's very egg-like, it's round, it's an oval – I know it's a shocker but I actually do possess the ability to determine things like this despite the fact that I'm only a _Scout_ \- " 

"Okay, okay!" says Kirsch quickly, before Carmilla's rather famed temper can fly even more off the handle. "I understand. And if I'm getting your meaning right, which I'm pretty sure I am…" 

"It's a supernatural egg," says the vampire, a little bit of fire fading from her voice but her eyes still blazing. "It's bright green, it's actually _glowing_ and I found it in some fifteenth tier base of the establishment that's trying to wipe all supernatural creatures out, not hatch more. And, cherry on top, I've never seen anything like this in my entire life, which is saying something." She pauses for one very heated, very poignant moment. "Why did the Purity Foundation have this, Kirsch?" 

He holds her gaze, his ability to do so one of the many things that make him such a damn good Lieutenant. "I don't know," he says after a moment. "But you can sure as hell bet that I'm not going to rest until I find out." He looks down at the egg. "Wrap that thing up again – I'll take it upstairs." 

There is one long moment where Carmilla hesitates and considers just yelling at him again for a few minutes to make herself feel better. She resists though, and slowly wraps up the egg. "You'll keep me in the loop, I'm assuming." 

He raises an eyebrow. "That's against regulations. Of course I will." 

The corners of Carmilla's mouth twitch as she hands the egg over. "Good." She rolls her shoulders reflexively, looking a bit on edge even still. 

Kirsch raises an eyebrow as he leads the vampire out of the room, back into the hallway. "What's wrong, Blue? Not a fan of running recon solo today? And here I thought you were such an edgy, brooding loner." 

Carmilla shoots him a biting look. "I'm a fan of playful banter while I work," she says finally. "And it's my dear partner's own fault for getting benched, anyway." 

Kirsch laughs quietly, egg held under his arm like a basketball. "Red was getting a mandatory physical." 

Carmilla snorts. "Mandatory is such a funny word. I prefer to pronounce it – 'I'll do it if I goddamn want to.'" 

"Remind me to book you an entire week with the medics, I'm beginning to suspect you've actually never let one of them touch you," says Kirsch, shaking his head. And then he looks just over Carmilla's shoulder at a softly blipping light above the door, flashing yellow. "Although maybe not just yet, looks like we've got an incoming supernatural being." He smiles. "You broadcast your check in message direct to Perry's office, didn't you?" 

For the first time tonight, Carmilla's grin is free of any snark, and her eyes glint with a certain childish delight that almost makes her look like a normal eighteen year old. "You know how I like to be thorough with my paperwork." She nods briefly at the bundle under Kirsch's arm. "Keep me updated." 

He nods seriously, once. "I will." And then he smiles wide as he hears honest to god scratching at the door of the compound. "Now for god's sakes Carmilla, go take your dog for a walk." 

She's out the door before he can even blink. 

xxx 


	2. Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part two of the fun. Likely the daily updates will not continue, but who knows? Also I added a Laferry tag because who am I even kidding.
> 
> The plot thickens. Slowly. Let me know how you're liking it!

Lafontaine sinks into the black leather chair, exhaling deeply. "Done yet? I'm getting an almost uncontrollable craving for a brownie and a deeply trashy movie."

Perry's eyes leave her computer screen only briefly, the edges of her lips twitching in a small smile. "Just wrapping up the last reports. Team Three took an extra hour tonight, their recon run picked up a hidden prison and they ended up having to rescue a troll."

Laf can't help the wide grin that breaks onto their face at the sudden mental image. "A fully grown troll? Team Three are pixies, aren't they? Like… _really_ tiny pixies."

Perry continues typing but her eyes sparkle with suppressed mirth. "Well trained and perfectly capable pixies, Lafon- Captain." 

Rolling their eyes, Laf stands up and perches on the edge of Perry's desk, smiling inwardly as her typing slows just a little bit. "You know you can call me by my name, Perr. I'm off the clock." They lean in a little closer and Perry's typing stops completely. "Also, I didn't spend all those years getting you to call me Lafontaine just so you can refer to me by my rank all the time." 

Perry's eyes slide off her screen to meet Laf's. "You know that's very unprofessional, _Captain_ ," she says, but she can't quite manage to sound scolding, and a sly smile touches the edges of her lips before she looks back to her screen. "Give me five minutes to sort out this administrative mess. I swear, it's like Blue Scout does her reports in the dark." 

The Captain slides off the desk with a laugh, slumping back into the leather armchair. "Blue Scout actually does reports? That's honestly way more than I expected of her." 

__The sound of keys being furiously tapped starts up again. "Well," says Perry after a moment. "She doesn't usually, really. I'm surprised she even bothered to check in after her recon today."_ _

With a snort, Laf leans forward to stare at Perry with a raised eyebrow. "You're surprised? Really? She ran without Red today. I bet you a literal paycheque that she checked in _early_ , sent the signal direct to your office and only did so at all because she knew her favourite puppy would be pouting here on your couch without her." 

___Perry lets out a ruffled noise of disapproval. "Please, Captain. If you're implying what I think you're implying, you know that you don't exactly have a good history with predicting the romantic inclinations of Carmilla Karnstein."_ _ _

Laf rolls their eyes, waving a hand in dismissal. "Whatever, that was twenty years ago. And all I did was bet you half a pizza that Laura and Carmilla would get together… _after_ I had four awful light beers at a keg party. This is different." 

____Perry smiles mischievously. "And what a delicious half-pizza that was. When you turned out to be wrong. And, you know, I turned out to be right."_ _ _ _

The seasoned soldier narrows their eyes, nodding their head slowly at the direct call out. "Okay, Perry, fine. I'll give you that one. Although I would like to remind you that you had absolutely no idea Laura was aromantic either, so I don't know if you were exactly _right_." 

_____The administrator shrugs, grin still firmly in place. "I bet you they wouldn't get together, and they didn't get together. I won, fair and square, case closed."_ _ _ _ _

_____Laf rolls their eyes (very quickly, and not without first making sure Perry wasn't looking.) "Okay, okay, fine. You are still the official half-pizza bet champion, congratulations. But!" And the Captain stands up, pointing a triumphant finger at the still typing woman. "I'm right about _this ___. I've been working with the two them for fifteen years. I've watched the slow burn. It's happening. Or will happen, very soon."_ _ _ _ _

______Perry raises an eyebrow. "Yeah? So you're absolutely sure you want to go into this game with me again?"_ _ _ _ _ _

______Lafontaine's eyes flash, military determination shining through. "I'm positive. One paycheque to the winner. One month. Team Four romance happens. Red and Blue. Danny and Carmilla." They stick a hand over the desk for Perry to shake._ _ _ _ _ _

______And she does shake, with great aplomb. "And I bet you that in one month, Team Four will be nothing but scout partners. Still. Like they've been for the past fifteen years."_ _ _ _ _ _

______Both parties grin as they release each other's hands. "Got yourself a deal, Perr," says Laf, backing off once again and sinking back into the chair. "Now come on, it's got to have been more than five minutes. I've had a long day, I need to watch a really dumb movie with you, like right now. It's a necessity."_ _ _ _ _ _

______Perry smiles at her screen. "Alright, alright, I'm just about – oh wait…" A soft beeping sound comes from the speakers, and Perry frowns, clicking on the notification that has popped up before her. "What is this…"_ _ _ _ _ _

______Laf narrows their eyes. "No, no. I know that sound. No way is that a meeting request. If that is a meeting request I swear to god – "_ _ _ _ _ _

______"It's a meeting request."_ _ _ _ _ _

______" – are you _ACTUALLY ___serious – "_ _ _ _ _ _

"From Kirsch." Perry reads the request with her eyebrows raised, and Laf's increasingly angry tirade ceases as they stop to listen. " _Urgent Request to Attend, October 15th 2036, Conference Room B. Time: As soon as possible. Required: Head Combat Administrator Perry, Green Captain of Team Two, Yellow Captain of Team Two. Meeting called by Lieutenant Kirsch, acting Captain of Reconnaissance Administation–_ blah blah blah." Perry finishes reading and looks urgently to Lafontaine. "What is this?" 

________Lafontaine looks half amused, half very confused. "First of all, you just 'blah blah blah'ed. I've never heard you use that phrase in your entire life, that was adorable."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________" _Lafontaine! ___"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________"Second of all," they follow up quickly. "I don't know… that invite list is – weird." Frowning, they count on their fingers. "That's Kirsch, you, me, Laura…"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________Perry chews on her lower lip. "Everyone who has upper level security clearance… and who also went to school with us."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________There's a long moment of silence where the two of them just look at each other, identical frowns on their faces. And Lafontaine slowly accepts that their movie night plans are probably not going to come to fruition._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________"We better get up there. Fast."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________xxx_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________Danny's body shifts back to human reluctantly – the tendons shrinking, claws moving backwards into hands and turning to nails, fur melting away to reveal skin and clothing. The tall redhead looks down to her feet and sees they are bare. She frowns._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________"Still can't get the hang of the shoes?" asks a smooth voice to her left, and Danny looks up to see Carmilla, leaning up against the rock face fully clothed, right down to those damn black combat boots. "You've been running without them for twenty years – it's really a lot easier with them, you know. Did you do the visualization exercises I taught you?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________Danny narrows her eyes and sinks down to sit with her back to the large rock face. "Yes I did the damn visualization exercises," she grumbles under her breath. "And obviously running missions is going to be easier when I'm not stepping on rocks all the time. But like, it's difficult! I've already got to concentrate on bringing the clothes back, my brain doesn't have time for shoes."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________"Well," drawls Carmilla as she moves the few steps closer to her partner before gracefully lowering herself down and sitting next to her. "Footwear or no footwear, I suppose you have come a long way from the days where you would just rip right out of your clothes." The vampire pulls out a bottle filled with dark liquid from a black bag and lifts it to her lips playfully, arching a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "That was very distracting on missions."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________It's really a testament to how long they've been working together that that sort of comment doesn't even phase Danny anymore. "Hah hah," she deadpans, and then frowns down at her bare feet. "Well, hopefully my feet aren't too sexy because I have a feeling you're going to be seeing a lot of them before I get the hang of shifting with shoes."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________Taking a long drink from the container, Carmilla nudges Danny with her shoulder. "You'll get there," she says simply, tongue reaching out to catch a bit of blood on her lip. "It takes time."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________Danny snorts, and leans forward a bit, looking over the cliff where they sit to the miles and miles of forest, surrounding them. Her gaze settles over the ocean in the distance, the moonlight reflecting brightly in the clear water. "Lucky I'm immortal, then, hey?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________The vampire laughs softly. "Yes, very lucky indeed."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________There is silence for a while as the two of them watch the tops of the trees move in the wind, watch the moonlight shimmer on the ocean. Out of all of their immediate colleagues, Danny and Carmilla are the only ones who can shift into animals (Laura had not gained any such ability with her vampirism.) They run together often as a result, both as partners and as two individuals who simply have a lot in common. They found the cliff years ago, on a mission, and there is something about it they keep coming back to._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________The silence is a bit different tonight, though. Neither of them are particularly talkative in general, so much of their time together is spent in comfortable quiet, but tonight Danny senses there is something bothering her partner. She knows it wouldn't do much good to prod, however. So she waits. And sure enough…_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________"I found something very strange, tonight," says Carmilla, her voice light but serious. Looking over, Danny observes her, pale skin bright in the moonlight, brow furrowed slightly. She chews thoughtfully on her lip. "I wish you had been there. I didn't know what to make of it."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________Carmilla explains about the egg slowly, in detail. Danny listens carefully, and after the vampire is finished, the werewolf pauses for a moment, considering what she has been told. "And you're sure you didn't recognize what it was at all? Not even a subspecies?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________Carmilla shakes her head. "No. It was completely foreign to me."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________"Dragon?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________"No…"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________"Loch Ness Monster?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

" _Danny._ " 

__________The redhead grins. "Sorry."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Carmilla fixes her with a brief piercing glare before exhaling slowly, and turning back to face the moonlit ocean. "No," she says softly. "Nothing I've seen at all before. It just… it worries me."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________The view is breathtaking but somehow Danny can't bring herself to look away from Carmilla's face for even a second. "I know," she says, and she hopes she sounds at least a little comforting. "But hey, you told Kirsch – he'll take it upstairs, right?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________The vampire nods slowly. "That's another thing – you know where the recon was, right?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Danny didn't run it, but she furrows her brow, thinking back to the mission request she had to turn down for her medical exam. "Oh wait… it was right near Silas, wasn't it?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________She focuses back on her partner and finds herself staring into dark, dark eyes. Carmilla is looking straight at her, nodding. "Yes, it was," she says silkily. "Willing to hazard a guess who's going to be dragged into all this?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Danny doesn't even have to think about it for longer than a second. She lets out a soft chuckle. "Hope Team Two didn't have dinner plans."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________xxx_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	3. Different

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's backstory time!
> 
> I went in a slightly different direction here but I think it'll make for some interesting times. Agree? Leave a comment!

xxx

Kirsch stands at the head of the long black table, eyes flashing briefly over the three confused faces seated in chairs along it. He clears his throat. "So uh, thanks for coming, everyone. I know it's late."

Laura, who is leaned back languidly in her seat, arms crossed, raises an eyebrow. "Maybe for some people."

Kirsch struggles to not roll his eyes at his senior officer. This is going to be one of _those_ meetings, he can tell already. "Okay, creatures of the night aside, I know it's late. Sorry, but it's pretty urgent."

Lafontaine leans forward, resting their forearms onto the table. "We sort of figured from the last minute notice. And uh, the exclusivity of the invite." They look around pointedly. "It's like a mini university reunion, what gives?"

Scratching at the back of his head, Kirsch wonders how exactly to approach this topic. He sighs inwardly. Might as well jump right into it. "There was a scout on patrol today, near the old Silas campus. They, uh, found something."

In her seat next to Lafontaine, Perry frowns. "The recon run near the Silas campus? That scout was –"

"– Carm, right?" A sudden look of illumination appears on Laura's face. She sits up a bit. "She mentioned something before she left today."

Kirsch supposes his attempted vagueness regarding Carmilla's identity may have been a lost cause, considering he invited the Head Administrator of Combat as well as the scout's actual roommate. "Okay," he amends. "So it was Blue Scout. But yes, she found something."

"She didn't mention anything in her report…"

"Please, like Carm writes her reports –"

"Okay guys!" Lafontaine speaks up, voice loud enough to cut across both the administrator and the tiny vampire. "I don't know about you two but I'd actually like to hear about whatever it is that's so urgent." They look up at him. "Lieutenant?"

Kirsch smiles inwardly. Good old Laf. "Thank you, Captain. As I was saying…" He hesitates momentarily, and then leans over, and pulls the egg wrapped in the faded blue sweater out from under the table where he'd been storing it. There is relative silence as everyone stares at it (aside from Laura who rather audibly grumbles 'Pretty sure that's _my_ sweater.'). Taking a deep breath, Kirsch gently tugs the blue garment off to reveal the glowing green egg.

More silence for a moment. Then…

"It's an egg," says Lafontaine bluntly.

Kirsch raises a hand in acknowledgement. "Right? That's what I said. But yeah, the implications are a bit broader than that, obviously."

Now Laura is leaning over the table, frowning at the glowing green object. "What kind of egg is it? I don't recognize it."

Sighing again, the Lieutenant sits down at the head of the table. "And there you have it, I guess. We don't know. Even Blue Scout didn't."

"Hold on," says Laf, looking up from the egg to meet Kirsch's eyes. "Three hundred and fifty year old vampire Blue Scout?" They drop their gaze again. "If someone that old didn't even recognize it…"

"Which is exactly the problem," agrees Kirsch, nodding. "She found this at a Purity Foundation base near Silas. Which raises even more questions." He looks around the table. "Any volunteers?" 

Laura doesn't look away from the egg when she speaks. "What was an anti-supernatural organization doing with an obviously supernatural egg?"

Laf is next. "Why haven't they destroyed it?"

Perry is chewing on her lip. "And what does it mean that it was right next to our creepy old university?"

Kirsch leans back in his seat morosely. "And of course the biggie, what the hell is it?"

Silence for a moment. Perry looks at Kirsch briefly. "I'll strike that language from the meeting record for you."

"Thanks, Perry."

The four of them sit without speaking again, staring at the softly glowing green egg. And then there's the sound of scraping as Laura stands up, pushing her chair back. She isn't that much further up from the ground when standing versus sitting, but she gets up anyway, starting to slowly pace back and forth. She takes her hair out of its sleek ponytail to flow down on her shoulders and for a second she looks just like the human she once was, frowning when faced with a difficult dilemma.

Laf watches their partner walk slowly back and forth, lost in thought. "What's up, L?"

Laura grinds to a halt, and she turns to face Kirsch. "Am I correct in assuming we have pretty much like, no plan?"

The bulky lieutenant lifts and drops a shoulder. "Yeah, pretty much."

Laura exhales, closing her eyes briefly before flashing them open again and looking around with a determined gaze. "Okay, people. We're obviously going at this all wrong. If this is some kind of leftover Silas weirdness, we need to go about fixing it Silas style." She crosses her thin arms, her mouth a hard line. "We're gonna need Team Four."

Perry frowns. "This is post reconnaissance work, Yellow Captain. Team Four are just scouts, they don't have security clearance."

Rolling her eyes in a fashion eerily reminiscent of another vampire they all know, Laura places her hands on her hips. "Oh c'mon, you know the only reason they haven't been promoted through the roof is Carm creeps the Colonel out and Danny punched the Commissioner's cousin that one time when he made that sexist comment."

Laf chuckles suddenly. "I forgot about the punching thing," they explain with a shrug after a moment. "Gotta say, I don't always see eye to eye with Red but that was _deeply_ funny."

Tactfully ignoring this, Laura continues. "It's just dumb hierarchy issues, it's not like they're incompetent." Her eyes flash over to rest on Kirsch. "And don't think I don't know you tell them everything important anyway, Lieutenant."

He sputters for a brief moment. "I – that's against regulations."

Laura slowly raises an eyebrow.

Kirsch crosses his arms defensively. "Okay, so maybe I tell them some things. But you try saying no to Blue Scout, you never know when she'll just snap and bite you." He gets a wary look in his eye suddenly and scratches sheepishly at the back of his head. "Uh, no offense on the biting thing, Captain."

Laura shrugs. "No offense taken. But you see what I mean? When it comes to combat, those two are good to have on your side." She looks around the room. "So? Team Four's in?"

Perry looks a bit hesitant, but Lafontaine shrugs and speaks up. "It's not like they don't know all about this already anyway. Blue discovered the egg and if Blue knows, Red knows. I'd say might as well call em in and make it official." Glancing quickly at Perry they frown. "Well, not _official_ official. Like maybe we don't write it down. I may have forgotten about that punching incident but I doubt the Commissioner did."

The administrator looks a little disgruntled but nods in agreement. "I'll see what I can do about the reporting. Kirsch, you can handle things on your end?"

He grins. "I'll assign them 'Training' missions for a while. Red'll love that."

Laura smiles brightly. "Great, well that's settled. So, where are they?"

Laf raises an eyebrow at her. "Appreciate the enthusiasm, L, but I think it's just about bedtime for those of us that are still human." 

The tiny vampire pouts, furrowing her brow. "Right. Ugh, darn, mortality is such a buzzkill."

Perry's already standing up, yawning and pulling a jacket around her shoulders. "You could try and track them down and let them know what we've decided at least? Saves us having to contact them – the less said over the airwaves the better."

Laura smiles again, and there's just a hint of fang showing under her upper lip. "That I can do! Anyone know if they're anywhere in particular, or just off chasing each other's tails again like usual?"

Laf snorts at the last comment, wrapping a scarf around their neck and shooting Perry a pointed look, which she rolls her eyes at. Kirsch speaks up after a moment. "Blue came in from her recon and Red was already at the door waiting to go out again. I think they're just goofing off somewhere but they're probably not too far."

Laura ties her hair up again in seconds and in a blink she's at the door of the meeting room, grinning widely. "Perfect. First I'll try the pet store, then I'll work my way out from there."

She's gone before any of them can respond. Perry looks thoughtfully at Lafontaine. "Do you think vampirism actually _makes_ you snarky?" 

Laf smiles sleepily. "Entirely possible."

xxx

Laura runs with a smile on her face.

She pretty much always does, always has. Ever since she realized just how fast she _could_ run, just how much she was really capable of.

A lot, it turns out. 

Twenty years ago at Silas, they had taken down the Dean, Carmilla’s mother, and Laphiliformes, her terrifying monster of choice. They had gone into battle – Carmilla with her sword, Danny with her teeth, and Laura with … was it a baseball bat? A hairbrush? Who knows.

It wasn’t enough. The Dean had fallen, but she had taken Laura with her, weak human body crumpled and broken on the rocks.

Carmilla did not accept that. Not for one second. And she made a split second decision then that changed everything.

It was strangely exhilarating to wake up a vampire.

It was a while before she got used to it. Carmilla was surprisingly patient with her sire duties, taking Laura through all the new things slowly, teaching her restraint, composure. She taught her about the thirst, how often she needed to feed, how to get blood donations from the hospital with no questions asked.

Laura hadn’t liked that detail very much. Refrigerated blood is pretty gross, she discovered. As a result she went thirsty a lot in her early days, and kind of still does. Danny hates it – hanging out with a hungry, irritable vampire all the time _is_ kind of an unappealing prospect, Laura supposes.

But they got through it, all of them. They went through university as much like normal kids as they could, and the differences weren’t so stark at first. Kirsch, Laf and Perry matured and grew with the years, and Laura, Carmilla and Danny told a lot of people ‘Yeah I’ve always looked young for my age.’ They graduated, and for a month or so, they thought about the future. Laf was going to go into research, Kirsch into personal training. Plans were made.

And then the Purity Foundation was put together. And suddenly, with a group of radical anti-supernaturalists hunting down every last vampire, shifter and everything else, plans were changed. The Styria Protection Agency was founded, and Laura, Laf, Perry, Kirsch, Carmilla and Danny were among the first to join.

To serve and protect. Specifically, to serve and protect the very things that go bump in the night. Obviously, Laura was all for it – her fangs and bloodthirst an obvious contributing factor.

Much has been the same, since then. Laura and Laf are the top team in field work, and have been promoted time and time again. Kirsch and Perry aren’t much for combat but excel in their administrative duties and make things on the inside run a whole lot smoother. Carmilla and Danny… well, they seem pretty happy. Neither of them care much for prestige, and you don’t just tell Carm to keep her nose clean and Danny to stop punching people if she feels like it. Scouting is good for them. Under the radar and all that.

Laura runs past a lake and an outcrop of trees and – there. She grinds to a halt and inhales deeply. Ah. Smells like werewolf. Her grin widens slightly and she takes off again after the scent. It’s always a bit easier to track Danny, as Carmilla smells a little too familiar. It doesn’t help that even after twenty years her sire still insists on stealing her possessions.

Laura and Carmilla have a lot in common, obviously – they are the only vampires in the Styria Protection Agency, for one thing, and they have been roommates for what seems like forever. But over the years, Laura gradually has begun to notice a very stark difference between the two of them.

It’s no secret Carmilla’s a bit broody. Quiet and sulking is her go to, sitting in silence alone or with Danny, dark eyes far away. When Laura was human, she had chalked it up to a vampire thing – perhaps being undead just makes you a bit pouty? But with time, she realized the trait is entirely Carmilla.

The former Countess Karnstein was eighteen and unwilling when she was turned. All she wanted to do was dance at a ball, laugh with her friends, socialize and just _be_. To be murdered, to be turned into the walking dead and live as a creature of the night – it wasn’t something she was even a little bit prepared for. And in the three hundred plus years she’s lived, of course she’s become used to it. It would be hard not to – how difficult must it be to remember being human when you’ve only spent five percent of your life as one?

Carmilla is a vampire through and through, and Laura knows she’s accepted it, learned to exist with it, found ways to live among humans, drinking donated blood hidden in milk containers and hiding behind leather and a bad attitude.

Laura learned very quickly she is different.

When she went into that last battle as a human she was prepared for anything – death, injury, the loss of friends. When she woke up as a vampire it was a glorious second chance, a way to keep going, a way to surround herself with life and vitality _forever_. She hates the taste of refrigerated blood, it’s so false, so clouded. She wants it hot and fresh from the source, the way it’s supposed to be. She wants to take down her enemies and show them exactly how powerful she is, she wants to run fast and with her fangs out, she wants to laugh and be open and free and strong and all of the things she could never be as a tiny, breakable human. She doesn’t need anyone to protect her, anymore.

Carmilla isn’t like that. For all her experience and wisdom, Laura knows that Carmilla kind of hates being a vampire, sometimes.

Laura is different. Laura _loves_ it.

xxx


	4. Office Space

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnd cue the cuteness. Also, cue the teasing. Troll Laura is my favourite Laura.
> 
> The planning also begins, albeit slowly. I don't even know how these guys get any work done in their jobs.
> 
> Leave a comment and let me know what you think!

xxx

The wind betrays the scent for only for a brief second, but Carmilla notices. She growls lowly, and skids to a halt, claws digging into the earth. Turning slowly, she focuses inwards, and concentrates. In seconds, she is upright, standing, the last thing to change her eyes; the feline yellow darkening to almost black.

The trees in front of her part, and she is greeted by a familiar fanged grin. “Impressive speed, it was almost hard to catch you.”

Carmilla crosses her arms in front of her. “Good thing I slowed down or you’d be chasing us all night, cupcake.”

Laura raises an eyebrow playfully. “Hey, that’s Captain to you Blue Scout, we’re in the field.”

The older vampire grins back. “Sorry. _Captain_ Cupcake.”

There’s a soft rustle of trees behind her, and Carmilla smells something like rain, and oak, and earth. Seemingly without her permission, the smell puts a smile on her face, and then she feels an elbow resting on her shoulder. “Jesus, it’s like a high school locker room,” says Danny’s low voice in her ear. “Would you two perhaps like to arm wrestle? Shotgun beers?”

Laura’s grin is still exceptionally toothy and Carmilla wonders if she ever puts her damn fangs away. “Hi Danny!” chirps the tiny vampire.

Danny’s chuckle is so deep in her throat Carmilla is pretty sure only she can hear it. “Hey Yellow,” greets the werewolf. “What brings you to this neck of the woods?”

Laura leans up against a tree, her eyes flashing with excitement. “Business. Guess who got you two on a post-recon mission?”

Danny glances briefly at Carmilla, her eyebrows raised, before looking back to the little Captain. “Really? Because last I checked the boys upstairs still aren’t big fans of us. Also I broke another chair in the lounge this morning.”

Carmilla allows herself an internal chuckle at the mental picture before adding, “Yeah, I’m pretty sure I gave at least one medic a heart attack this evening, too.”

A look of disbelief flashes quickly over Laura’s features. “How did you even manage to – you don’t even go to your physicals – okay, not the point.” The grin flickers back onto her face and she pushes herself away from the tree she’s leaning on. “Kirsch briefed us on the egg.”

Ah.

Danny’s elbow lifts off Carmilla’s shoulder as she crosses her arms. “And? We still don’t have security clearance.”

Laura shrugs one shoulder. “We’re thinking we go ah… off the record, with this one. You know, the proximity to Silas, the overall weirdness.” She looks in between the both of them, eyes sparkling with unabashed glee. “It’ll be just like old times!”

Great. Carmilla sighs. “Your enthusiasm worries me sometimes, buttercup.”

Raising a triumphant finger to point at her sire, Laura treats them both to a particularly fanged grin. “As does your pessimism! Come on, it’ll be fun. We’re all to report to Green Captain’s office in the morning. Carm, I’ll be waking you up early regardless of your grumpiness level.”

Danny groans. “Green? Really? Come on Laura, they hate me.”

Laura waves a hand dismissively. “Oh they don’t hate you. Think of this as bonding time!” Her eyes flash mischievously again. “Also I’m your senior officer and you have to listen to me.”

Grumbling lowly, Danny crosses her arms. “Wow, it really _is_ just like old times,” she mumbles to Carmilla under her breath.

Carmilla makes a small noise of acknowledgement. “When’s the meeting?” she asks.

“Ten,” says Laura promptly. “I’ll see you at the room soon, Carm.” And then her eyes look back and forth between the two of them and Carmilla doesn't like the look of that knowing smile. “Unless I don’t. I know how you enjoy your night long squirrel chasing.” Thin fingers rise in a jaunty wave. “Goodnight, you two.”

She’s gone in a blink.

Danny’s laugh reverberates dully in the air, hanging there like fog. “ _Squirrel chasing_? She really has a weird image of us in her head.”

Carmilla laughs too. And wonders if maybe Danny intentionally missed the vague insinuation Laura was making. Because it’s ridiculous, what Laura thinks, what Laura keeps subtly implying these days.

Ridiculous.

Really.

She allows herself to look sideways, up at her partner. And as she sees Danny’s blue, blue eyes, she pushes all the useless, pointless words that spring to mind right back down her throat.

“Well,” Carmilla hears herself say instead. “That’s Laura for you.”

Danny’s smile is familiar, and comforting. “Yeah.”

Silence. If there were crickets, they would be audible. Danny’s arm is touching Carmilla’s and it’s _not_ distracting, it’s not.

“What do you think?” Danny asks suddenly. “About the whole… undercover mission thing.” She laughs. “They really do despise us upstairs. If they find out we’re a part of this…”

Work. The mission. This is safe ground. This is something Carmilla can do. She moves very, very slightly, and her arm isn’t touching Danny’s anymore. And her head clears a little. “Let them try and prove it,” she says with a lazy shrug. “We’ll be nowhere on the schedule thanks to Kirsch. I bet they’ve even got Perry striking every mention of us from the meeting records.”

Danny nods, conceding her point. “True.” And then she sighs morosely, running a hand through her hair and looking longingly into the woods. “I guess we should probably head back, though. Maybe tonight isn’t the perfect all nighter kinda night? Considering there’s actually stuff to do before noon.”

“Hmm,” replies Carmilla, eyes flashing. “You’re right. Heading back and getting some sleep _would_ be the responsible thing to do.”

There is a pause, and then the smile Carmilla has been waiting for slides onto Danny’s face. “So, we’re not at all going to do the responsible thing?”

Her sentence is barely finished before Carmilla’s body is changing, bones moving, eyes brightening to a feline yellow.

Danny looks grateful to change, too. Her bare feet are probably starting to get cold.

xxx

Danny wakes up to a knocking on the door. The rapid, enthusiastic taps are familiar and could really only belong to one person. She opens a bleary eye to look at the blue light of her alarm clock.

_9:46 am_

Well, that's fairly unsurprising.

Another round of tapping and she yawns, rolling over in bed. "Just come in, Laura," she groans.

The door releases a slight pneumatic hiss as it slides open, and really, how can a vampire look this perky this early? Laura is dressed in khakis and a tank top, hair pulled back and looking very military overall. Her bright gaze lingers on the floor for a second and her already ridiculously wide permagrin widens a bit more.

Danny wonders if she ever puts those fangs away.

"Up and at em, Red!" greets the tiny vampire, brown eyes flashing to the bed. "Even though you've obviously _not_ gotten up yet, I choose to believe you're just mentally preparing for our meeting after a full and complete night of rest." Her gaze flickers to the floor again. "And you've adopted a cat, as well! You have certainly been busy in your sleep."

Danny can't help a small chuckle as she pokes her head over the side of her covers to rest her chin on the edge of the bed. The massive black cat is curled up on her rug, tail rather hilariously tucked around its body to cover its closed eyes. "Yup," replies Danny. "I'm quite the animal philanthropist when I sleepwalk."

Laura moves into the room a bit more, approaching the sleeping cat and still grinning like a tiny idiot. "Clearly," she says, sounding very amused. "Hey, mind if I steal her? I mean, I know you just got her and everything but I was thinking about turning her into a vampire and throwing her immediately into the heart of combat."

Danny snorts and rolls over again, yawning and attempting to knead the sleep out of her eyes with a fist. "Yeah, go ahead. She snores anyway."

Laura chuckles. "Don't I know it," she mutters. Danny then hears an incredibly unamused feline yowl. "Hey kitten!" comes Laura's voice again, this time much louder and immensely enthusiastic. "Wanna go for a walk?"

There's a strange but familiar sound, a rushing of air – like a very localized and brief windstorm. The body that rolls over on the floor now sounds like it is much lighter than a large cat, but just as pissed off. "I will literally destroy you," says a low, gravelly voice.

Danny smiles when she hears it.

Laura speaks again, her tone mockingly offended. "Is that any way to talk to your senior officer? Seriously though, we're going to be late, and Perry is already losing her mind about letting you guys in without security clearance. I would not recommend pushing her further."

Opening a bleary eye and turning her head to watch Carmilla stand up off the floor, Danny catches her gaze almost immediately. Being pretty sure Laura isn't watching, she mouths _'Tired?'_ at the dark haired vampire.

The corner of Carmilla's mouth twitches upward very briefly, and Danny watches her lips form around the silent words – _'Worth it.'_

Danny smiles again.

"Alright, alright," says Laura again, smirking and looking between the two of them, and okay, maybe she _was_ watching. "If you're quite finished your adorable little secret conversation, I will be taking my roommate back now." She grabs Carmilla (who is mid eye roll) by the wrist and nods quickly to Danny. "See you in exactly eleven minutes, Red! Green Captain's office, remember."

The hiss of the closing door barely masks the start of the vampires' conversation in the hallway outside. Danny's grin widens as she lies back in bed, werewolf enhanced hearing definitely a plus in this situation.

"Sooooo, slept over, eh?"

"Oh god, please don't even start. You _saw_ me sleeping on the floor. As a _cat_."

"Yeah, yeah, you're old fashioned, I get it. Did you hold paws in the elevator on the way home?"

"Laura…"

"Entwine your tails?"

"Wow. I'm actually going to destroy you, cupcake."

"We've been over this, Blue Scout. That's _Captain_ Cupcake to you."

Danny doesn't hear any more of the conversation after that, as she is laughing way too hard.

xxx

When Kirsch hits his shin on the desk in front of him for the fifth time, he swears out loud, eliciting a scandalized look from Perry. Good thing there's no record to strike that from, at least, he rationalizes to himself. Biting down on his lip in pain he looks pleadingly to Laf, who is staring at him with a weird mixture of pity and amusement. "Okay, I get that secrecy is a thing with this whole meeting, but is this really the biggest office any of us have?"

Laf just shrugs. "Sorry, Kirsch. Your office is too close to the Commissioner's, Perry's has people bursting in all the time, and we're honestly pretty small people. We have small offices."

The six of them are packed uncomfortably close together – Danny crammed between Carmilla and Perry on a couch, Laf seated behind their desk and Laura perched on top of it. Kirsch, of course, is on a chair in front of the desk and has very little leg room.

He frowns. "You're not _all_ that small." He refrains from motioning towards the couch for fear of hitting someone in the face. "Red's not!"

Danny raises an eyebrow at that. "Yeah, but like, you think I even have an office? Carmilla and I are scouts."

Carmilla smirks beside her partner. "Our collective office is pretty much all of the outdoors."

From on top of the desk, Laura speaks up, grinning rather widely. "Maybe someone could sit on your lap, Danny?"

Kirsch wonders what that ferocious looking glare from Carmilla is for.

"Okay!" says Laf loudly, and everyone looks over at them. "We're getting a little off topic here. I know the office is small, sorry Kirsch." They motion half heartedly in the direction of the couch. "And Red. But we really need a game plan here." They look down at the glowing green egg on the desk in front of them.

Laura nods, and the expression on her face turns serious. "Very true. I think a good place to start is – how are we going to find out what this egg actually is? It's hard to formulate a game plan when we don't even know if it's good or bad."

Kirsch leans forward – as much as he can, anyway. "Can't we pretty much assume it's good? I mean, if the Purity Foundation were keeping it hostage or whatever."

Carmilla makes a noise of dissent. "I wouldn't make that assumption. The Purity Foundation aren't exactly the hostage taking type. Their modus operandi on the supernatural is pretty much capture and kill." Her mouth is a grim line. "Mercy isn't their style." 

Laf concedes her point with a frown. "I've seen enough in the field to know that's unfortunately true. Which also means that whatever this egg holds –" they look warily towards it, "– could be highly dangerous for us."

Laura looks at her partner. "Like a weapon?"

Breathing out slowly, Laf shrugs. "We can't rule it out."

Kirsch frowns, confused. "A weapon? But like, there's definitely a creature in there, right?"

Carmilla leans forward. "I wouldn't say _definitely_ a creature, but likely. However, you're forgetting one thing, Lieutenant." She glances quickly at the egg again. "I found it right near Silas U's old campus. And if any place has a knack for nasty supernatural things…"

There's a few moments of silence as they all stare even more warily at the glowing green item on Laf's desk. And then Perry clears her throat. "I just had a thought," she says slowly. "Well, I was cleaning last week and I came across that old big book with all that awful stuff in it..."

A smile spreads onto Laf's face, and they look over at Carmilla. "Don't suppose you're up for some good old fashioned research, Blue Scout?"

Danny makes a face at that. "Research? Ugh, you guys know I went into field work instead of administrative for a reason, right?"

An amused look flickers over Carmilla's face. "Yeah? Not just for the fancy colour themed codenames?" Danny then shoots her a scorching look and the dark haired vampire rolls her eyes, bumping her shoulder against her partner's. "Come on, it won't be that bad." She lifts an eyebrow and smiles. "I'll teach you Sumerian."

"Awwww," comes Laura's voice from the desk.

Kirsch gives her credit, the little Captain ducks the pillow thrown at her head very quickly. There's something to be said about vampire reflexes.

xxx


	5. Not Good

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Chapter 5. More things happen. Some of these things may get a tiny bit bloody. Perhaps don't read the chapter while you're eating.
> 
> Enjoy! Feedback is welcomed and encouraged.

xxx

Perry wonders if it's entirely necessary for her to be here, really.

Well, not _here_ , here. It's her office, of course she can be _here_. And she has been working for the Agency for fifteen years of course, and has a lot of experience with typing things up, and keeping things in order, and making sure things are organized. She is Head Administrator, and excels in making sure all the records are one hundred percent accurate.

So it just feels a little bit useless to be sitting here, working on a project in which the goal is to make sure all the records are wrong.

Lafontaine has of course assured her this is not the case, and she supposes she can see their point. She internally shudders at the thought of what would happen were she not here to make sure everyone's time is accounted for in the reporting. Not to mention to make sure no one barges in on their meetings. (Her office is currently logged as; 'Unscheduled Maintenance, Do Not Enter' in the daily record).

Still, it would be nice to be able to contribute something to the research. Or whatever it is that's being done.

Perry looks over at the three of them – Lafontaine frowning at a computer screen, and Carmilla pouring over a book and muttering distractedly to herself. At least Danny isn't looking particularly engrossed in the research. She is sprawled lazily in her chair and instead of looking at the large Sumarian book, the tall redhead seems to be rather focused on a lock of Carmilla's hair that keeps falling into her eyes. Perry watches as she makes a small noise of amusement and pushes it behind the vampire's ear for the fourth time tonight.

Hm. Perry will have to keep an eye on that. She definitely does not want to lose that bet she has with Lafontaine.

"Did any of you know anyone on the swim team?"

Laf's question is not a particularly expected one, and Carmilla jerks her head up in surprise, and Perry is pretty sure Danny almost breaks the chair she's sitting on as she moves forward.

"I didn't," says Carmilla slowly. "But I didn't really… talk to people very often."

Danny snorts and quickly shoots a grin at her partner. "Understatement. But uh, I did. Both talk to people and know people on the swim team. There were a couple of Summer Sisters who were on there." She frowns, remembering. "They were…"

Lafontaine leans towards the two scouts. "Weird?"

Danny nods, crossing her arms. "Uh, yeah. Actually. They never really ate anything, they didn't wear anything but those swim team track suits, and they had this weird skin thing going on."

The Captain looks strangely triumphant. "Yeah. That weird 'skin thing'? That probably would've been scales. Look – this article is from 2019." They turn back to their computer screen and begin to read. "' _University rivalry turns ugly when Supras U sabotages Silas U swim team. The method of contamination is yet unclear, but residue of an unidentified luminescent green substance has been found in Silas locker room. Half of the Silas U team members have been confined to the on campus hospital until the infection is dealt with – they will miss the regional swim off…_ ' blah blah blah."

Perry grins a bit at the 'blah blah blah.'

Danny looks confused. "So what you're saying is Supras turned our swim team into… fish?"

Laf shakes their head emphatically. "No, no, I'm saying most of them were _already_ fish. Or, well, not fish, but fish like creatures. Pretty sure there were a handful of mermaids, maybe a few selkies? Whatever. What matters is that half of them were human. And the human ones were completely unaffected by whatever this sabotage was."

Carmilla gets up, and walks over to where Lafontaine has the article open on the screen, frowning at it over their shoulder. Her dark eyes move back and forth as she re reads it, and then her gaze shudders to a halt as she finds what she was looking for. "Ah," she says flatly. "That isn't good."

Danny makes an unimpressed sound. "Care to share with the class?"

The dark haired vampire looks directly at her partner, expression grim. "' _An unidentified luminescent green substance_ ' found in the Silas locker room."

Still frowning, the tall redhead shrugs. "So? Glowing green stuff. Typical Silas."

Laf clears their throat, standing up from behind the computer and moving over to motion to the egg, which is sitting on the desk in front of them. "Hey Red, if you're quite finished getting lost in the vampire's eyes, maybe looking down here will help."

The inevitable biting retort dies on Danny's tongue as she looks down at the egg. The glowing, green egg.

"Well. Yeah, that's not good."

xxx

Kirsch can't help but jump a little when he steps on a twig and it snaps – the sound breaking the relative silence and freaking him out more than just a bit. Ugh. He squares his shoulders and attempts to compose himself, continuing to follow Laura out into the woods.

Field work. How did he end up doing _field_ work?

"Hey Captain… you sure this is okay? No combat, or anything?" He knows the little vampire is obviously slowing her pace as he follows, but he's still somewhat out of breath. "Because not only am I not trained in combat, but like, not everyone stopped aging at twenty."

Laura peers back over her shoulder with a toothy grin (does she ever put those fangs away?) "Don't worry, Lieutenant, purely recon, I promise." She shrugs. "And you know, even if there is combat I think I can handle it."

Kirsch chuckles under his breath. "I definitely believe that."

They are heading to Silas, which is kind of exciting and also kind of terrifying. Before they adjourned their last meeting they'd agreed a scouting mission was necessary – at least to make sure that the campus is _actually_ deserted. Considering the last time they had issues with the school there turned out to be an ancient demon requiring human sacrifices under the Lustig, and everything.

Kirsch trips on a fallen branch and curses quietly. Of course, Laura had volunteered to go scout the school out (she's actually fed recently so she's full to the brim with that manic enthusiasm of hers). Green Captain opted out because they're the best researcher the crew has. Blue Scout's the only one who reads Sumerian so she's out, and Red doesn't run missions without Blue. So here Kirsch is.

He really is getting too old for this.

"Okay," says Laura suddenly, and she grinds to a halt. "We're getting close." She turns around and looks up at him, a serious look in her eye. "Plan is, get in and get out. Keep an eye out for any activity, supernatural or human, record it and bring it back to base."

Kirsch almost rolls his eyes. "Duh. I know the plan. I wrote the plan."

Laura raises an eyebrow.

"Uh, I mean, aye-aye Yellow Captain."

There's that fanged grin again, which would look really scary except for the friendly twinkle in her eyes. "That's better," she quips brightly, and then nods her head firmly. "Let's do this."

They don't run in past the gates – there's really no need, and running isn't very subtle when you're big and human, which one of them definitely is. Kirsch looks over to the left almost on instinct and smiles nostalgically as he sees the old football pitch. Good times.

They let themselves into the front doors of the school without much difficulty, and walk down the halls, not speaking, just listening. Everything is dark, deserted. Laura walks just ahead, peering into the dirty windows of classrooms, tapping empty lockers with a knuckle.

Everything is covered in a thick, chalky layer of dust. As they get further into the building the natural light fades, and Kirsch pulls out a flashlight, clicking it on and illuminating dark corners, checking to see if anything looks out of place.

Nothing does, until they get to the library. "Hm," says Laura, quietly.

Hm, indeed. The door is open, dust clear from the door handle, and there is a strange green light coming from inside. Kirsch quickly exchanges a look with the small vampire, and she lifts a careful finger to her lips. She starts to move slowly towards the door.

Heart hammering in his chest, Kirsch follows. The two of them approach the entrance and slowly, slowly peer around the open door.

The shelves and books in the library are still there, covered in that thick layer of dust. Everything looks untouched except for the receptionist's desk, dead centre.

On top of the desk there is what can only be described as a cauldron – the ancient stone contraption looking immensely out of place in the otherwise 21st century atmosphere. From where he stands at the door, Kirsch can hear it softly churning as if it were full of a boiling liquid, and every so often a glowing, green bubble will float out of the top of it, remaining in the air for a few seconds before disappearing with a gentle pop. The smell of it is noticeable even from the door – a thick, chemical smell.

Well, that's really weird.

Tearing his eyes away from the weirdo cauldron, Kirsch looks down at the reception desk itself to see several large, black bags, all bulky and filled up with… something. He can't really tell from this far away but the material of the bags looks new. Not just this century new, but like, this year new. He glances quickly at Laura and her fierce stare is also locked on the bags.

"What do you think is in those?" he whispers to her as quietly as he can.

She gazes over at him, and oh no, he does not like that look in her eyes. "Not sure," she says quietly. "But I know how we can find out." Her fangs glint in the eerie green light as she grins.

Oh no. "Uh, wait, wait, doesn't this surpass the definition of recon?" Kirsch quickly hisses back. "Like, we look, don't touch? Trust me I know, I like, wrote the handbook."

Laura really is getting good at rolling her eyes these days. She moves to a standing position from her crouch, and squeezes Kirsch's shoulder briefly. "Come on, Lieutenant. Live a little."

"Oh sure, means a lot coming from someone technically dead."

But Laura's eyes are already locked on her target. "Stay here," she says. "I'll be right back."

Kirsch's heart is in his throat as he watches her move stealthily into the library, fast and low to the ground. She doesn't use her vampiric speed but she's quick, and she's level with the desk now –

"Hey!"

Oh _no_.

A tall, imposing figure dressed in black moves from behind one of the stacks, and Kirsch swears under his breath – Laura must not have smelled him because of the strong chemical odor emanating from the cauldron. The figure holds a gun and Kirsch looks at his armband, recognizing the symbol with sudden dread.

Purity Foundation.

Panic starts to set in as he watches the man approach Laura. This is looking more and more like a combat situation and Kirsch doesn't _do_ combat, goddamn it. But this is Laura, his Captain and friend… Almost without a second thought he's on his feet and moving into the library too, trying to look as intimidating as possible. "Hold on, there!" he calls out, in the most commanding voice he can muster.

And now the gun is pointed at him. Great. "Keep your hands where I can see them!" orders the Purity man firmly. "Stay back!"

"Oh! _Please_ don't hurt him, sir!"

Kirsch jumps at the voice. It's sweet, young and naïve. He looks over to his right, startled, and he's greeted with the sight of big, brown eyes, wide and innocent. It's Laura. She is staring pleadingly at the gunman, looking for all the world like a teenage girl who's been caught out ten minutes after her curfew.

She bites her lip nervously, and Kirsch notices the distinct lack of fangs. Eyes still wide and guileless, she takes a tiny, tiny step forwards towards the man, actually twirling her tied back hair between her fingers. "I'm _so_ sorry if we weren't supposed to be in here, mister," she says, and her voice is dripping with sincerity, soft and sweet and downright unrecognizable. "But it looked abandoned? My Dad used to go here, and he just wanted to show me the campus." She looks at Kirsch now, and smiles beatifically. "He used to be a big time football player… right Daddy?"

"Oh, oh yes," Kirsch finds himself saying. He looks back at the man, who is still pointing the gun at him, but warily now. "I just wanted to show my little girl where I went to school – I didn't know there would be anyone in here."

The man lowers his gun just the tiniest bit, a flash of doubt in his eyes…

And that's apparently all Laura needs. Before Kirsch can even blink, the Captain has cleared the space in between herself and the Purity officer, and she is at his throat. The gun clatters to the ground and the man doesn't even have time to scream before she tears out his jugular.

Heart pounding in his chest, Kirsch watches in shock, counting the seconds. Three, Four, Five…

And the body of the man drops to the ground. Laura slowly straightens up, lifting a finger to wipe a stray drop of blood from her lip. "Well," she says calmly. "That's like, three feeds in as many days. I hope I don't get indigestion."

Kirsch is still frozen in place, staring at the body. "That was…" He can't even find the words, and he looks back up to stare Laura firmly in the eye. "That was _not_ in the mission outline."

Her smile is tinged pink from where the white of her teeth is stained with blood. "Oops."

He shudders a bit. "Okay, and also don't do that 'innocent' voice again, that really freaked me out." He takes a deep breath, and looks back at one of the bulging black bags by the desk. "Are you going to look in there, already? I bet that guy wasn't alone in here."

The playful grin is gone from her face within a second, and the hardened mask of the seasoned officer she is replaces it. She turns towards the receptionist's desk, and leans down to slowly start to open one of the black bags.

"Careful," Kirsch says quietly, approaching his Captain slowly. He peers warily over her shoulder.

There's about a five second pause where the two of them just stare at the contents of the bag in silence.

"Huh," says Laura bluntly after a long moment.

"Yeah," replies Kirsch.

"That's probably not good."

"No, probably not."

xxx


	6. Heroes and Villains

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there! Development is happening. Yay!
> 
> Thanks for reading

xxx

Danny sits at the table, staring at the object in front of her. She then looks up at all the faces surrounding the table, each wearing an identical expression of dread. She looks back at the object and sighs. "Okay guys," she says, leaning back in her chair. "Someone is going to have to explain the doom and gloom of this discovery to me. Because all I'm seeing is a big ol' grey egg."

Beside her, Carmilla's lips twitch upwards amusedly, and Laura shoots her a wry grin from across the table. Laf frowns and crosses their arms. "What do you mean? It's a gremlin's egg."

Danny looks up at them, trying not to look too hostile. "Well, yeah. I did get that when Laura and Kirsch walked in here, dropped it on the table and said ' _We found a bag of gremlin's eggs._ '" She looks around the table again. "But like, am I missing something? Gremlins are annoying, yes, but they're pretty much harmless. They're dumb as logs, breed like rabbits and they're damn easy to drop kick."

Carmilla laughs softly, and Danny knows she's remembering an enjoyable evening in which the two of them found a gremlin's nest deep in the forest. Good times.

Kirsch leans forward, flopping his elbows on the table. "Yeah, gremlins aren't exactly the issue, Red. It's more the uh, 'breed like rabbits' part." He scratches at the back of his head. "You remember the big cauldron full of glowing green stuff we mentioned?"

Danny nods slowly. "Hard to forget."

Kirsch glances toward the head of the table, where the luminescent green egg is sitting propped on top of the blue sweater. "And you remember the fact that Blue found that mystery glowing green egg close by?"

Danny doesn't answer, but instead slowly looks from the grey gremlin's egg in front of her, to the green one to her right. And then she thinks about how the two eggs are about the same size, and look to be about the same weight. And she thinks about how Laura and Kirsch had found a sack of the grey eggs right next to the big cauldron of green –

"Wait," says Danny suddenly, sitting up straight and staring at the gremlin egg with newfound horror. "You're saying that someone's like… dipping gremlin eggs in this green cauldron goop and turning them into some weird new horrible thing?"

Carmilla looks grim. "Not just any old horrible thing, either," she says in that low, smooth voice of hers. "Remember the green chemical residue that infected the supernatural half of the Silas swim team?"

As Laura and Kirsch frown in confusion, Danny's heart sinks into her stomach. "The Purity Foundation got ahold of the chemical from Silas," she says, aghast. "And they're using it to make some… evil, supernatural-killing gremlin?"

Perry speaks up for the first time, sinking into a seat next to Lafontaine. "An evil, supernatural-killing, rapidly breeding _army_ of gremlins."

Silence envelops the room. And Laura stands up from her seat, crossing her arms and cocking her head at the glowing green egg at the head of the table. "So, I'm thinking we should probably destroy this, right?"

Laf makes a small noise of dissent. "Not necessarily. If all of our assumptions are correct, this is an entirely new creation – there may be mistakes or flaws we can exploit if we look into it."

Carmilla leans forward to look skeptically at Laf. "Yeah? And if it hatches, oh wise and all knowing captain?"

The commanding officer clears their throat awkwardly. "Well, if that happens we get you, Yellow, and Red outta here fast."

Danny glares. "Okay, I'm not liking this plan very much."

Laura raises a hand with a frown. "Yes, also not a particular fan over here."

Exasperated, Lafontaine runs a hand through their hair. "Listen, I get it. Obviously it's not ideal that this thing might kill you guys – "

" – oh _not ideal_ , thanks…"

" – But!" continues Laf firmly, "It could also help us uncover how to save potentially the entire supernatural population. Plus, Blue Scout carried it back here herself and doesn't seem affected in any way, that's something. Whatever the deadly part is might only affect you if you're bitten by the infected gremlin, or something like that."

Danny looks over at Carmilla and Laura. Laura breathes out slowly, and nods. "Okay," she says. "I guess I can get behind it. For the greater good, and everything."

Carmilla crosses her arms but also shrugs somewhat agreeably. "You know me," she drawls. "Love the heroic vampire crap. Sign me up."

And then everyone's looking at Danny. Great. She finds herself looking at the egg again, and sighs. "Is there a heroic werewolf crap category?"

Everyone sort of smiles, and shuffles meeting notes around, and Laf starts muttering with Laura about next moves.

Danny leans back in her chair, and then she feels a hand on her thigh. Looking up she meets dark, dark eyes. "You're scared," murmurs Carmilla, and ugh, shouldn't Danny really be used to that damn tone of her voice by now?

The redhead ignores the sudden (and now disturbingly familiar) light feeling in her stomach and gently lifts and drops a shoulder, not breaking eye contact. "Yeah," she says quietly. She hesitates for a half second, searching her partner's face. "And you're not, I'm sensing."

The vampire smiles wryly. "I'm too badass."

Danny lets out a quiet laugh.

Carmilla's hand squeezes briefly on her leg before letting go. "Don't be scared, Red," she says smoothly, turning back to face the table. "Hey masterminds."

The two Captains look up briefly from their quiet discussion to look at the dark haired vampire. Laura raises an eyebrow. "You want to leave, don't you?"

Carmilla's lips twitch upward. "If we're not incredibly needed. Putting it in your terms, Red and I have some squirrels to chase."

Laf rolls their eyes. "Dismissed. Next meeting tomorrow morning."

As they get up to leave, Laura calls after them. "And try and actually get some some sleep this time!"

Danny can't help but think she can't make any promises.

xxx

Carmilla doesn't know why this night feels different.

She runs as a cat, the wolf beside her, like always. Twigs and dirt and leaves are crushed underfoot by the two of them. She doesn't particularly know where they're headed but they seem to be going in a different direction tonight.

She wonders at the significance of that.

They reach a clearing – an outcrop of trees that part for the moonlight, shining down. Danny's pace slows and stops, and Carmilla senses that, so she does too. She turns her head inquisitively to the side, and looks at the wolf.

There is some silence, and the two of them are stopped there, their breath visible and rising in the relative cold.

Then Danny transforms, and stands there still, her six foot plus frame staring down at Carmilla, whose cat form is positively diminutive in comparison. Carmilla can see her feet are bare.

More silence. And then –

"It's not that I'm scared," says the redhead, slowly. She looks away from the cat, up at the moonlight. "I mean I guess I am. I don't mean to sound like an incredible cliché, but it's more that I just have a really bad feeling about all of this."

Carmilla puffs air out of her nose. The wolf's right, she does sound like a cliché.

Other than a small, brief smile, Danny ignores that. She's looking at the moon, again. "Laura and Laf, they both have this military head, you know? They love what they do, and they have these instincts that always turn out to be right. Laura's always been like that, even back when she was a tiny little human investigating her weird roommate." A quick, amused glance at Carmilla. "I mean, she was definitely right about the weird."

Carmilla chooses not to react to that, just waits for her partner to go on.

"You and me…" Danny starts again. And she frowns, searching for the words. "We're good at what we do, that's for sure. And I know that everyone says – everyone _knows_ why we haven't been promoted and stuff. We don't exactly play by the rules, and it gets us into trouble."

If Carmilla was in human form, she would smirk.

"But that's not entirely it, is it?" And Danny looks down at the black cat, again. "I think we act out for a reason. I think that with this whole organization, and with Purity trying to kill us all, I think that Laura and Laf and the rest of them got exactly what they wanted. They got a chance to be the heroes." Danny smiles, but it's twisted. "Carmilla –" her voice shudders a bit over the name. "I don't think _we're_ meant to be the heroes. You know?"

Before she can really consciously choose to do it, Carmilla's body changes, the ebony fur fading into porcelain skin, yellowed eyes darkening, claws receding to show fingernails, painted black. And the vampire is moving, and she's close enough to Danny to touch her, but she doesn't. Just fixes her with a blazing stare. "You're sure as hell not a villain, Red," she says, voice low. "That heart of gold you've always had is a permanent sort of fixture, you know."

Danny gives a wry smile. "That's not what I'm saying," she replies. The distance between the two of them is enough to fit a person, but doesn't really feel that way. "We're not evil people, the two of us. Even you, big bad vampire."

"Oh, don't flatter me."

Another smile. "Believe me, I'm not." Danny runs a hand through her hair. "No – I know I've always had this burning desire to just know that hey, the good guys are doing okay. That the people I care about are safe, able to protect themselves if they can." She laughs softly. "Like, the selfish man's hero complex, I guess."

Carmilla snorts. "That's not selfish," she says, her voice quiet but firm. "That's realistic. No matter what the mighty Captains think, you can't save everyone from the bad guys. You just do the best you can with what you have, and try hard as hell to keep the people you love safe."

Danny's lips twitch upward. "And that's the difference, isn't it? Between the rest of them, and you and me. They got into this to save supernatural creatures, to keep the world pure and happy and spinning exactly the way it should." She cocks her head almost imperceptibly and _damn_ , her eyes are so blue. "I got into this to keep the people I love safe." There's a strange pause. "I got into this to keep Laura safe, I guess."

The feeling in Carmilla's chest is impossible to describe. Because she knows what Danny is talking about – of course she does. But it just feels… No. She pushes the feeling back, keeps staring into those blue eyes. "I probably did the same thing," she says slowly. And then she laughs, and she doesn't mean it to sound as bitter as it does. "It's funny, isn't it? She doesn't need anyone to keep her safe, now."

Danny raises an eyebrow. "You know, I don't think she ever has. I learned that the hard way."

Carmilla's chuckle is low in her throat. "It never really felt like I won there. I guess neither of us did, in the end."

There is a very strange look on Danny's face, one that Carmilla can't quite nail down. "I wouldn't be so sure about that," she says quietly.

The distance between the two of them is much less now. Carmilla can't remember how or when that happened. "So what _are_ you sure about?" she says. "We're not heroes, and we're not villains. And we're not protectors, I guess, anymore. So what are we doing here?"

The question hangs in the air, for a second. And Danny is very, very close. "You're doing what you've always done," she says, and she barely has to whisper. "You're surviving as best you can, doing as much right as you figure you can manage."

Danny's lips turn up into a very small smile, and Carmilla realizes she is looking at her lips.

Jerking her gaze upward, Carmilla is looking into blue eyes again, and they're shining with a whole lot of _something_ as Danny continues. "And I'm doing what I have always done," she says. "I'm watching over something I love."

Carmilla's mouth is very, very dry. "But not protecting it."

Danny shakes her head almost imperceptibly, but Carmilla is so close she can sense every miniscule movement. "Waiting for it to figure out what it wants."

The pause is nothing. A millisecond, maybe. It feels like an eternity for Carmilla, ironic as usually time is quicksand to the immortal vampire. But as she stands there, inches away from Danny, words sinking in, unable to move, the moment lasts forever.

Forever, and not long enough.

A rush of air is in the clearing, and Carmilla is not looking up anymore, but down, as Danny changes, her form bending to the ground and growing teeth, and claws. And Carmilla meets eyes that are not blue, but the same quality is there, somehow. And she watches as the wolf blinks meaningfully at her. And runs from the clearing.

Waiting for Carmilla to run, too.

xxx


	7. Fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update time! Thanks so much for your kind comments thus far. Time for some excitement - battle scene anyone?
> 
> Minor gore and things.
> 
> Enjoy!

xxx

Lafontaine wonders idly if this is a good idea.

It's a stakeout. Or, at least it's supposed to be. Team Two crouches behind a small outcropping of bushes just outside the Silas campus, the short stature of both Laf and Laura a definite plus in the hiding department. And it's not really supposed to turn into anything. They're just watching. Waiting to see if the Purity Foundation is going to move anything in, or out, or something.

But after an hour, Laura is still so tense beside them, and it slowly dawns on Laf that as much as this is supposed to be a recon mission, the Yellow Captain is definitely not treating it as such.

They hold their gun a bit tighter.

It doesn't happen until they've been sitting there for two and a half hours. Quiet and tense. But all of a sudden Laura moves slightly, lifting her nose up. And Laf sees her lip pull back a tiny bit, revealing a hint of fang.

The faint sound of an engine in the distance reaches their ears. A vehicle, coming closer. "How many?" Laf whispers, sitting up, looking to their partner.

Laura's eyes are blazing. "A lot," she says, her voice low and clipped. "At least two vehicles. Five to ten men in each."

Yikes. Lafontaine breathes out slowly. "We can't take that many, Captain."

They can almost see the internal debate going on behind the tiny vampire's eyes. She chews on her lower lip, carefully avoiding breaking the skin with her sharpened incisors. "We've done it before," she says after a second.

The sounds of the vehicles are getting closer. "We've done fifteen before," the Green Captain hisses back hurriedly. "This could be far more. We need backup."

Laura looks them in the eye and _crap_. "We can take them," she says firmly. "Call in Team Four. We move in, we take out as many as we can, Four arrives in time to help clean up the rest."

Lafontaine wonders if it is worth arguing, and quickly decides it isn't. They pull their communicator out and jam the outgoing button down. "Admin. Line secure?"

Perry's voice is immediate. "Secure."

"We've got hostiles and we're going to take them out. Send Team Four for backup."

"… Captain –"

Lafontaine grits their teeth at the hesitation in Perry's voice. It's supposed to be a stakeout. Routine. But they glance sideways at Laura and the fire in the vampire's eyes is clear. Someone is seriously trying to take out her kind with one fell swoop. And she's _pissed_. "Just send them, Perr."

There's a half second pause. "Roger." The communicator clicks off.

The sound of the vehicles is getting closer and closer. And Laura is on her feet. And Lafontaine stands up too, watching the path in front of them, and the seasoned military training settles in. "I'll take the left side."

Laura cracks her neck, steely determination in her eyes and a smile on her face. "I'm gonna start with the right and turn in down the middle. Meet you there."

The first truck pulls up and from a quick headcount, Laf sees more than ten soldiers, all buff, burly and with Purity armbands wrapped around their thick biceps. Each one of them is armed with a heavy assault rifle. Laf's lips pull back in a grim smile. "They don't stand a chance."

xxx

Laura rips through the throat of the first soldier in her path with a fevered rage. She doesn't stop to drink – this is not a time to savour. The dead body drops to the ground, fingertips still twitching with the memory of life, eyelids flickering as the light behind them goes out.

Laura turns on her heel, fast – so fast that her raised left elbow meets a soldier's chin with a force strong enough to break his neck – she hears the crack as the man's head snaps sickeningly to his right shoulder. His gun slips from his fingers and falls and his body folds at her feet.

Laura doesn't even stop a second to smile.

There's two others at her shoulders, and they're in close corners but one man still squeezes off a shot – his aim is poor but it grazes her hip, thudding into bone and peeling off the skin. With a snarl, Laura lunges at his throat, tumbling to the ground. The thick, vampiric blood that oozes from her wound soaks his uniform as she tears at his jugular.

The second man is still above her, and his gun is pointed at her head, ready to blow it open. With speed almost undetectable to the human eye, she rolls off the dead man she is lying on, and the second man's gun goes off, obliterating the corpse of his once-fellow.

That's the last thing he sees before Laura is behind him, one palm on each of his ears. She snaps his neck with a practiced twist, and she's gone – at the neck of another soldier before this one's heart even stops.

She can't see Lafontaine, but she hears gunshots and the cries of pain as soldiers drop at her partner's skilled hands. Laf is human, but a strong human – agile and quick, and they didn't get made Captain for nothing. Allowing herself a brief second to pause, she surveys the bloody path in front of Silas. Seven, perhaps eight men are dead.

The roar of an engine mixes with the sound of gunshots, and the second vehicle is here, full of men. Laura whirls around on her left leg, lifting her right knee to connect with the soft stomach of a soldier advancing behind her. Wheezing, the man folds and drops to his knees, and lifting her boot, Laura brings down her foot and crushes his skull like an egg underneath it.

The second vehicle is stopped, and men's voices yell at each other as they recognize a battle scene. There are at least fifteen, to add to the five that still remain from the first round. The new men flood out, armed to the teeth.

Laf's voice yells across the field, hoarse and fierce. "They have close hand weapons!"

Laura ducks instinctively and the soft _whoosh_ of a knife blade swings above her head – if she had delayed even a second it would have decapitated her. She lunges at the attacking soldier's knees, tackling him to the ground and ending his life with razor sharp fangs at his neck. She jumps to her feet after the body under her stops struggling, blood running down her chin.

White hot pain. The sudden, excruciating burn is in her lower back, just to the left of her spine. With a furious howl, Laura wraps her right arm around her torso, and grabs the wrist of the man who has just stabbed her. She squeezes as tight as she can, and she can feel the bones in his forearm shatter under her fingers.

The man cries out in agony, and his fingers let go of the knife handle in Laura's back. As soon as he does, she whirls around, and the soldier is dead faster than he can blink as her palm snaps with insurmountable force underneath his chin.

As her enemy hits the ground, Laura ducks as well, and a round of gunfire just misses her. The pain in her back is intense and severe, but it won't kill her. She doesn't remove the blade, so as to not dislodge any organs from her body – they're technically unnecessary, but she'd rather not make a mess.

With a foul cry, she rushes at a group of men, half with guns and half with knives. Two are dead before they can even realize what's happening, strong hands squeezing at their throats until their necks snap. Another takes a panicked stab at Laura's middle but finds his arm broken and teeth at his neck sooner than he can blink.

But then the barrel of a gun presses into the crook of Laura's neck, and a gruff voice, brimming with sick confidence, comes from one of the remaining soldiers before her. "Time's up, freak," he growls.

The smug look on his face doesn't even have time to fade before a hulking, snarling, werewolf leaps at him shoulder height and tears his head clean off.

"Finally," grumbles Laura.

xxx

Carmilla watches Danny barrel towards Laura, and gruesomely decapitate one of her assailants. Well, at least that's one down.

She doesn't pause to watch the rest of the show, however, choosing instead to run towards the gaggle of soldiers advancing around Laf. With a growl deep in her throat, she tears at the first few soldiers with deadly claws and teeth, ripping their bodies to shreds. She sees the flashing silver of Laf's massive hunter's knife gouge open the throat of another, and she unceremoniously pounces on top of the last, her hulking panther's body crushing his chest cavity under her paws.

When the man is still beneath her, she looks quickly to Laf. Usually listening to instruction is not her forte, but there's only so much leading you can do when you're in cat form and can't speak. And Carmilla supposes, Laf is a pretty okay senior officer, as authority figures go.

"Laura was stabbed," says the Green Captain hurriedly. "She's a vampire, she'll be fine, but she'll be slowed. You and I are going to take out as much of _that_ group as we can." They wave over Carmilla's shoulder and she looks, seeing not one but two more advancing vehicles. While both sag low to the ground with weight, one holds about fifteen men, and the other only five.

Carmilla takes a mental note of that for later investigation. Now however, is not the time.

"You're in first, I'm at your back," continues Laf curtly, slamming more ammo into their gun and pulling their bloody hunting knife out of a man's back with a slick, wet sound. "Now move it, Blue. Let's kick some Purity ass."

Carmilla doesn't need to be told twice.

The first man's gun is only halfway raised when Carmilla tears his arm off with her teeth, crushing him underfoot as she advances through the group. The second man gets a deadly claw through the chest, as does the third. The fourth actually manages to graze her with his knife, the blade catching in her shoulder and drawing blood.

Carmilla hopes he enjoyed that last victory as she savagely rips through his abdomen with her teeth a moment later.

Lafontaine is right behind her, cutting through the soldiers with a practiced ease, experienced and deadly. Carmilla gets a few more minor injuries – her left ear is ripped with a knife, and hot blood trickles down into her eyes as she fights. A pad on her paw tears as it catches a man's teeth, and she is stabbed one more time on her left leg, but the cut isn't deep. The human Captain and the giant cat defeat fourteen men fairly easily, and they are left gasping for a second by the empty vehicles.

Lafontaine wipes a hand across their forehead, red hair wet with perspiration. Their keen blue eyes dart to the opposite end of the field, where Danny and Laura are still fighting off the last ten or so soldiers. "I'm going to go help them finish the rest." Their gaze meets Carmilla's. "Check out the vehicles. Particularly the one that held less men."

Carmilla's teeth are the first thing to change, sharp feline incisors shifting into vampire fangs, peeled back into a smile. Shoulders straighten and eyes darken, and the humanoid vampire stands before her Captain within seconds. "Willing to bet there's cargo," she agrees as soon as her vocal chords normalize.

Laf nods solidly and slams another round into their gun. "Exactly. See you in a few."

Carmilla is behind the first truck quickly – this was the one full of soldiers, and although she doesn't expect there to be much in it, she feels as though she may as well check. Yanking open the back door, she looks inside the jeep's cargo – nothing, just spare boots, a few guns. Pretty much just a way to transport soldiers from one place to another.

She thinks briefly about the fact that they needed three full truckloads of soldiers to go to Silas. Whoever said college was the best years of your life certainly didn't attend this mess of a school. Grumbling under her breath, she moves to the second vehicle, and yanks open the trunk.

She doesn't know what she was expecting – eggs? More green goop? Whatever it was, she wasn't expecting this.

The cargo hold is full – _full_ of gremlins. Tiny creatures with gnashing teeth, eyes bright and tongues lolling out of their mouths. While gremlins are usually jet black, these are bright green.

And as Carmilla's mouth drops open to gasp, or to yell for her teammates, a large hand closes tightly on her shoulder.

Apparently one of the men from the trucks is not quite dead.

In any other situation, Carmilla would have this man on the ground quicker than a blink. Even in her humanoid form, she's a damn _vampire_. She's super strong, and super fast. She could simply lift an arm and break every bone in the assailing soldier's face, or jerk an elbow back and rupture a kidney. However in this particular instance, there is an extenuating circumstance she is not prepared for.

One of the gremlins leaps out of the cargo hold, and bites down on her finger.

It happens in seconds. Overwhelming nausea floods through her veins, and her vision swims. She can't move – can't call out for help. Her vision is darker and darker at the corners, and her body slowly tips over, the hand on her shoulder guiding her silently to the ground.

In her last moment of consciousness, she hears a wolf howl.

xxx


	8. Stupid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little shorter than usual, but we're really getting into it now.
> 
> Thanks for the kind words thus far, and enjoy!

xxx

Danny's fist slams down on the table so hard Kirsch thinks it may crack. "No," seethes the angry redhead. "That is not acceptable."

Kirsch bristles a bit at the blatant insubordination, but overall he can't bring himself to snap at his junior officer. He can't even imagine how she must be feeling. "Danny…" he begins gently. "We have nothing – _nothing_ to go on. We can't just launch an attack against what's probably literally an army. Especially when two of our three fighters are just as susceptible as Carmilla was."

The werewolf's eyes flicker with anguish at the sound of her partner's name but her expression snaps back to steely again in seconds. "So what?" she starts confrontationally. "We hit the books? We wait around until _maybe_ one of us digs up something that might be able to save her?" The tension in the air is palpable and Danny sucks in a steadying breath. "They took her, Kirsch, they just _took_ her." As she speaks, she stares down at her own fists on the table, her voice breaking.

Exchanging a helpless look with Lafontaine, Kirsch feels his stomach twist. Danny's pain is heartbreaking, and he really does wish more than anything that he could be of some help. "Danny…" he says again, and honestly he doesn't even know what to follow it with.

The tall redhead pushes her chair back, the legs scraping loudly on the floor of the meeting room. It's just the three of them – Laura didn't show up and Perry is off to find her, wherever she is. Danny stalks away from the table, body tensed with frustration. She turns her back to the two of them, folding her forearms above her head against the far wall and resting her forehead against it.

Lafontaine clears their throat gently. "Hey Red," they say, and the two of them don't really get along, but their voice is genuine, warm. Danny stirs a bit from her closed off position. "I'm looking into it. I really am. If we can find some wide scale anti toxin, we can go in and fix this. If it's an airborne solution, even better. I'm running a full grid search on the computer right now. I've even got techies on it."

Danny turns slowly. "Techies, eh?" Her voice is still a little bitter, but at least she's not hitting things anymore. "So you brought this whole thing up to the Commissioner."

Kirsch groans at the memory. "It wasn't an easy conversation. But yeah. We've got everyone on this. All hands on deck."

The Scout crosses her arms against her chest. It's freaky – her gaze is fiery, but doesn't meet either of their eyes, instead staring daggers at the wall opposite. "I understand the restrictions," she says. "But she's still out there. Captured. Alone." Kirsch can tell she's trying to steady it, but her voice still shakes. "And… well, Purity doesn't keep prisoners long."

"Red…"

"No," she replies brusquely. "Just, just leave it, okay? Thanks for doing what you can." Running a hand through red hair, she heads to the door. "I'm going to find Laura."

"Perry's already – " the door slams shut. "On it…" finishes Lafontaine lamely. "Well, that went positively swimmingly."

Kirsch is a grown man, but he still sinks down in his seat and thunks his chin on the table like a sullen teenager. "Yeah, just brilliant. Not even half of us are even here."

"Hey, Perry was here for three seconds before she went to track down the littlest vampire," grumbles Lafontaine. They lift their head a little bit as they hear footsteps moving quickly down the hallway. "And as a matter of fact, if I'm not mistaken…"

The door swings inward, and sure enough, it's Perry. She steps into the room, noticeably more subdued than usual. "Well, I found her," she sighs. "She was just sort of… sitting outside. I think she let the medics at that knife wound for about three seconds and then whisked right off, away from everyone."

Laf breathes out slowly, and rests a comforting arm around Perry's shoulders as she comes to sit next to them. "I was afraid of that. Did you get her to talk at all?"

Perry shrugs, her eyebrows furrowed with concern. "I guess? She said she was thinking. She had that determined look she gets." She shakes her head sadly. "It was kind of… horrible. She's just so… I haven't seen her like this for a long time."

Kirsch lifts his head off the table to lean back in his chair. "Danny's worse," he says simply.

There's a moment of morose silence. Kirsch supposes there's not really much more that needs to be said on that topic.

After a second, Laf breathes out audibly, clearing their throat. "Okay," they say. "We need to focus. I'm running as much research as I can on any potential combatant for the contaminant, but we still need some sort of a game plan here." They look up at Kirsch. "We're going to need as many field agents as we can wrangle. I want Team Three, Five, maybe Seven on point. Even the Scouts, come to think of it. You can do that?"

Kirsch nods. He's Acting Captain of Recon Admin, he can easily organize a force to be reckoned with. "I'll get them all on call. Ready at the drop of a hat."

Laf nods slowly. "Good. Hopefully we'll come up with some sort of shield or something for the supernatural soldiers. Putting us at a huge disadvantage if we can only use humans."

There's another brief moment where no one speaks – Perry has pulled out a notetaker, and is busily typing minutes. And then the sound of her fingers tapping suddenly stops. Kirsch frowns as he looks up at her, and sees her eyes narrow. "What is it, Perry?"

The Head Administrator looks at him, and there's some sort of incredible intensity in her gaze all of a sudden. "Danny _was_ here, wasn't she?" she says slowly. "Where did she go?"

Kirsch sighs. "She went to find Laura. She was pretty torn up; it was kinda hard to see. Didn't have the heart to make her stay."

Perry's eyes narrow even more. She puts the notetaker down on the table and looks back and forth between Lafontaine and Kirsch. "You're telling me," she begins, voice low and gravely serious. "That a heartbroken, _desperately_ emotional Danny just left this meeting room a little while ago to go find Laura. Laura, who by the way is probably feeling incredibly vindictive and reckless right now."

From across the table, Kirsch sees Lafontaine's eyes flicker with a kind of sudden panic.

"And both Danny and Laura," Perry continues, "Are supernatural creatures who will probably be killed instantly by even a few tiny gremlin bites."

Kirsch feels the colour start to drain out of his face.

" _And_ ," says Perry, standing up from her seat and glaring at the pair of them. "Both of these teammates of yours are now alone, bitterly incensed, utterly devastated and all that is holding them back from pursuing someone they care deeply, deeply about is _your_ orders that they should stay put. For their _own good_."

Kirsch meets Lafontaine's gaze, and opens his mouth, throat very dry.

"Uh oh."

xxx

Laura speaks before Danny even has a chance to open her mouth. The vampire probably smelled her approach a mile away.

"It took you longer than I thought it would. To come find me."

Danny sticks her hands deep in her pockets, staring at the back of the tiny Captain's head. "I – I fought with the idea."

Laura's head turns to the side, her chin pausing just above her right shoulder. It's dusk, and they're outside – Laura is sitting on a rock slab, watching the sun go down. The orange-yellow glow in front of her shines around the half outline of her face, silhouetting her soft jawline perfectly. And Danny is at once struck at how incredibly beautiful she is, and also how that doesn't make her feel anything anymore.

Her heart is somewhere else. Stolen from her; driven away in the back of a truck.

Her fingernails bite into the palms of her hands at the thought, almost drawing blood.

She sees Laura's torso move gently with a long exhale. "I can hear your teeth grinding from here, Danny," she says softly. "You're obviously angry enough to do something reckless."

Danny doesn't know whether to laugh or cry at that. "I'm not sure reckless is the right word," she replies quietly, amazed at how controlled her voice can sound when it feels like every part of her is being torn apart. "I would have gone with 'incredibly stupid'."

Laura's lips twitch upwards in a pained smile, and then she slowly lifts herself to her feet, turning her back to the setting sun and looking up to meet Danny's eyes. "And yet, here you are."

The werewolf licks her dry lips. "Yeah. Well."

Laura looks at her appraisingly for a moment. "Love makes you do stupid things, huh."

Danny doesn't bother to deny it. She's far past that now.

Nodding her head slightly, Laura speaks again. "I love her too, you know. In my own way." The expression on her face hardens – turmoil raging just behind brown eyes. "We're not going to let them get away with this. Get away with her."

Danny's jaw tenses. "What can we do?" she asks, and she hates the helplessness she feels, _hates_ it. "They've got an army, Laura. An army of walking, biting, supernatural Kryptonite."

Laura lifts a single thin finger, and her determined eyes flash. "I've been thinking about that," she says. "When did we first find that egg – a week ago? And the cauldron, even less than that. Sure, they've got the _means_ for an army."

Danny frowns. "You're saying you don't think they've mobilized yet."

Laura raises an eyebrow. "You've been military as long as I have, you know what I'm talking about. It takes four months to run a damn fire drill around here, with all the policies and procedures. There's a pile of paperwork a mile high for everything in sight. And I'm willing to bet that Purity's no different."

It's hard for Danny to keep the skepticism out of her tone. "You think that this army isn't ready yet because of… paperwork. That's kind of a thin theory, Yellow."

Laura shrugs. "Why I didn't run it past Laf. It'd be shot down in a second. But, you've got to admit. It's possible."

Frowning still, Danny chews on her lip. "Okay. Humouring you – say they haven't fully mobilized. They'll still have a few. Probably dozens. Enough to kill us."

A corner of the vampire's mouth twitches. "Probably. And that's why this idea is still quite reckless, and as you put it, incredibly stupid." She fixes Danny in a steely gaze. "But it's for Carmilla."

It's a nonsensical reason – but it's hearing her name that does it. Danny's jaw locks and she nods. "I'm in."

xxx


	9. Enemy Territory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SURPRISE
> 
> ALSO I’M SORRY
> 
> I’M SO LATE
> 
> (I’m starting again, season three woo, also again I’m sorry!)

xxx

Carmilla wakes up.

Honestly, not something she expected to do, so the first moment is nice – she feels her paws, her tail, the cold floor underneath her. Alive. Nice.

The next moment is not so nice.

Excruciating pain. Every inch of her body is on fire, every tendon, every fibre, every strand of fur. It comes from the inside of her, in her heart, where _something_ has seeped through to the vampiric, unbeating mass and is _destroying_ it, is _eviscerating_ it.

She can’t open her eyes, there’s no function allowed in this much pain, there’s just a haze of acidic green in the angry blackness, the poison that is in her, killing her…

“Please shut that goddamn cat up!”

She can’t fully make the connection between the words and the situation – the pain is just too much – but the rawness of her throat and the suddenness of the outburst birth the sudden realization that she is screaming – yowling – roaring with the pain. Her body is trussed on the cold floor – rope digs into her fur but it’s nothing compared to the millions of invisible knives digging into her skin. And she is screaming the loudest she ever has, in three hundred and fifty years.

Nothing will ever compare to this. She would rather be buried in a coffin of blood for a hundred years. She would rather be buried in it forever.

She wishes she would just die.

She almost doesn’t feel the prick of the needle. It’s nothing, compared to the knives. There is only the pain.

But then comes the coolness.

It’s beatific, visceral relief. The cooling starts at the injection point on her shoulder, and then spreads. Runs through her veins, putting out the fire, running through her heart and brain and everything, numbing the pain. Not extinguishing it completely, but … the world comes back. It is the relief she never thought would come – she thought she was doomed forever to the pain. But the knives are removed, the poison flushed with ice.

Everything still hurts so much. Her body aches like she’s been electrocuted, thousands, millions of times. But the fire is dead. She gasps through her teeth, and realizes that her crazed howling has ceased.

She can feel cold sweat, everywhere. The fur on her cheeks is wet with tears (she didn’t even know she could cry, in this form).

One breath in, one breath out. Then another breath. And another.

And then she opens her eyes.

She is in a dim warehouse, tied up, on the concrete floor. It’s small for a warehouse, only about the length and width of a recreational gym. It is empty, for the most part, just unmarked cardboard boxes stacked on top of each other in the corners, a table with wooden chairs, bare bulbs on wires hanging from the ceiling, providing the light. There is the sound of the opening and closing of a heavy door, as someone leaves.

There is only one other person in here now. A man, standing before her. His white blonde hair is military cut, shoulders broad and imposing. He is wearing dark pants, black blazer, expensive shoes. The Purity Foundation symbol is emboldened on his lapel, an obvious sign of seniority over the usual lackey armband. His arms are folded, head cocked, looking down at her.

His eyes are empty. Evil.

“You’re too loud when you scream,” he says, and in the instant he speaks, his cruel, cold voice sends a jolt of hatred down her aching spine.

Shifting from animal form back into her humanoid form takes some energy. Over the years she has learned how to make the shift easily, become used to it, but it still requires that small spark. Sometimes, when she’s tired, she’ll just curl up and sleep in her cat form rather than bothering to switch back. It’s that kind of energy, additional commitment to the act.

Right now her body feels the worst it ever has, like it’s been abused for centuries, like all energy and will and life has been sucked out of it.

But she can’t speak in this form. And this man in front of her is so loathsome that she finds that energy. Through hate.

There is the familiar rush of air, and she feels her body change, shrink, move. Her eyes close for a second as they change shape, rounding, the pupils widening from the slits that they were. And she opens them again to find the man before her wearing a look of disgust.

“Nothing on this earth should be like you,” he says, black eyes narrowed. “You’re an abomination.”

Carmilla spits onto the floor in front of her. She’s not looking, but it tastes like blood. Her eyes focus to meet the man’s glare. “Some talk,” she rasps. “From putrid, stinking scum like you.”

The man’s mouth twitches, his teeth baring. “Better watch it, creature. I only had the poison in you muted. For now. I could bring it back, any second.”

Carmilla prides herself on being a fighter. On taking what the situation has to give and making it her own. But her mouth dries out in that second – remembering the pain. And her still, dead heart gives a shiver of fear. “What are you going to do to me?” she spits out, keeping the fire in her voice.

He steps forward, footsteps echoing in the mostly empty warehouse. And as she watches, he kneels before her, his black eyes never leaving hers. And he speaks, slowly and deliberately. “Annihilate you,” he whispers. “You, and every last one of your filthy friends.” He smiles, and it’s the most sickening thing she has ever seen. “This is the end."

The moment is short, but staring into the coldness of his eyes, trussed on the floor like an animal killed on a hunt, Carmilla feels every second like a knife wound.

He straightens then, pausing only to tighten her bounds, and stands, turning his back and moving away, every footstep on the concrete seeming as loud as a gunshot.

He stops for one short second, his head turning slightly towards her, an afterthought. “By the way,” he says, “that antidote to the poison really is temporary. Expect a return to the pain in about… three hours.”

Her throat, already raw from screaming, tightens. “When will I die?”

His soft laugh sounds wrong – nothing that evil should have the ability to laugh. “Oh, you don’t have enough in you to die. This will pass, albeit with at least another day of excruciating pain. You need a bite or so more.” And then he is walking away again, but his words still carry over his shoulder, biting into Carmilla’s ears. “And we will arrange that later, once we’ve killed all your friends.”

And the door behind him closes, leaving her alone.

She feels her body slump against the cold floor. The man’s parting words cutting into her, and only one thought in her head as she slowly fades into sleep, knowing soon, the pain will be keeping her awake.

‘ _Please, please – don’t let Danny come for me.’_

xxx

Danny stands at Laura’s shoulder, facing the gate of Silas University. “It looks deserted,” she says, keeping her voice low even so. “All you saw before was one guy in the library?”

Laura’s eyes are focused, steadied on the iron gates. “He was alone, but obviously there was a whole outfit set up. It was the lab, not the headquarters.” When she speaks, she sort of spits the words around her fangs, which are out and seemingly larger in size than Danny had ever seen them. “We’re looking for prison quarters. If the library is the lab…”

Danny thinks for a moment. “The gym?” she offers.

Laura turns slightly to look at her, forehead furrowed. “We had a gym?”

Danny shakes her head. That glimpse of teenage Laura; bookworm, cookie addict Laura… “Yes, we had a gym,” she answers. She can’t quite manage a smile. “It was kind of just converted to a rec center after a while, but it was just out back, across from the football field.”

The small vampire nods, laser focus back, brown eyes flashing. “We’ll head in the front, wrap around the courtyard to the left.”

“Right,” Danny replies. Her fists are clenched, her fingernails digging into her palms. She lets a long breath out though, and she just has to say it. “Laura –”

“If you’re about to tell me that you can do this alone, I don’t have to go, please save yourself little vampire, just stop,” she interrupts curtly, no longer looking at Danny but pulling her hair back with a tight elastic. “It’s Carmilla.”

“We have absolutely no plan…”

“And that doesn’t matter to me, and it doesn’t matter to you,” replies Laura. “What’s the issue?”

It’s like there’s something caught in Danny’s throat. “You don’t have to do this,” she manages after a moment.

There is no pause, no moment of consideration. “I’m going with you,” the Captain says. And the command in her voice and in the lines of her face is clear.

And maybe Danny is a little grateful. “Okay.” And then she does manage a smile, as she sees the seasoned soldier, the fierce vampire, and at the core, her loyal and righteous friend. “You and me, Laura.”

Her senior officer’s face betrays very little emotion, but there’s that spark in her eyes. Killer instinct. “On my six and stay low.”

Danny lowers on her haunches, and the smile on her lips turns grim and steady. “Captain.”

They run; fast, efficient. The gates slow them as they need to yank open the iron clasp, but Laura makes it look like tearing through rice paper – she breaks the fastening clear off and tosses it to the ground.

Danny supposes there’s no need for subtlety.

They reach the football field, and it is dark – the sun has set and no lights are on. It doesn’t matter overly to either of the field agents, as their eyes were made to be in darkness. But overall it looks deserted – they move quickly and quietly towards the back of the field, towards the gym.

And really, they know it’s enemy territory. They are fully and completely aware danger could be present at any moment, but Danny cannot help but focus only on the destination, finding Carmilla, getting to the gym, _finding Carmilla_ …

The first black figure leaps from the shadows to Laura’s right, and goes for her feet. Quicker than could be seen with a human eye, she dances out of the way, and turns with force to go for his neck – the crack is loud, and Danny smells blood.

The second figure comes from the left, and he is headed for Danny – she doesn’t have a spare second to shift, so rather lifts her knee directly into the soft of her assailant’s stomach. He goes down hard, winded, and she swiftly grabs his hunter’s knife from his hand, and his gun from his belt.

The third attacker comes for her and his heart meets the edge of the knife, viscera spraying from the wound.

The fourth and fifth, their throats torn open by glistening fangs, blood soaking their clothes as their bodies spasm with death.

The sixth, spotted from afar, a bullet in his brain, his skull smashed open and scattered on the grass.

But the seventh, no one saw.

It was the overheard attack. The football field is of course plain and flat, free of any natural obstruction, but along the edge of the field, tall, ancient trees grow. The seventh assailant came from above, jumping from one of the dark boughs directly for Danny, who was otherwise occupied, aiming her gun and pulling the trigger. The man falls with deadly purpose, his dagger out, headed for her unarmored throat…

A heavy, soldier’s boot connects solidly with the attacker’s chin, as a small, compact figure throws themselves into the fray. The man has no time to scream, his neck broken in a silent instant. He crumples to a heap on the ground, dead.

It is silent. Danny and Laura are hyperaware, looking for the next attacker, eyes darting into the blackness, breaths heaving and trained ears on alert for the rustle of a bush, or a broken twig.

Nothing. And then, when they are sure nothing more is coming, they turn to their saviour.

Narrowed blue eyes glare furiously at the two of them. “You guys,” starts Lafontaine, folding their arms across their chest, “Are _Class A_ morons.”

xxx


End file.
